Page 51 of Reset

No!

She forced herself to visualize Ryan. Tall, strong, casually confident. She felt safe with him.

Water rushed past. Her leg dragged along the rough stone wall. Her chest felt tight. Strained and stretched with air that had nowhere to go.

Breathe!

Just breathe!

The air was desperate to get out. It pushed at her throat, demanding release. But Sarah knew if she let it out, she’d want to take in another breath. And there was no air to breathe.

Ryan’s kiss!

His lips. His taste. The gentle yet firm caress that left her weak and desperate for more. She played it over and over in her mind, forcing herself to ignore the burning in her lungs.

Something banged into her shoulder. Ryan’s grip tightened. Her chest hurt. Her diaphragm was painfully tight. It was the engine that made her breathe, Ryan told her. Try to relax your diaphragm and fool it into thinking you’re fine.

If she could have laughed, she would have.

There were pins and needles in her fingers now. Her face felt tingly, and her limbs felt like they were drifting away.

How long had it been?

Don’t think about time.

She dug her fingers into Ryan’s arm as she felt his body move beside her. Strong. Sure. Confident in the water as he pulled her along with him.

Were they close to the other side? How long had passed? Her chest felt like it would burst and panic edged at her thoughts. There was no way she could hold it any longer. She had to breathe. And even though her mind knew there was no air to take in, her body didn’t believe her. She needed to let out the air. It was causing her pain. She had to get rid of it.

Stubbornness fought with terror. Logic with pure emotion. Her body at war with her mind in a way that it’d never been before.

Breathe!

NO!

Cold, slimy water, thicker than usual, caught in her clothes like long fingers pulling her down. Seeking to keep her forever.

Her lungs were on fire. The pressure unbearable. Her teeth ached from clenching her jaw shut against the urge to breathe. It was too much. She couldn’t take any more. She had to breathe.

SHE HAD TO BREATHE.

She was going to do it.

There was no stopping it.

Her chest was in agony, her throat on fire. Spasms wracked her diaphragm and her brain screamed and screamed and screamed and—

Suddenly calm enveloped her.

The enticing edge of sleep beckoned her over.

A peace like she’d never known stole through her body, making every muscle relax to the point of feeling nothing at all.

She was floating away.

And it was beautiful.

The taut tension that was her mind’s constant companion fled. There was no need to think, or worry, or plan. All she had to do was feel.